A formal Department of State Services probe is now being demanded to determine whether Bauchi South Senator Shehu Buba Umar has links to banditry. The call follows a recorded video conversation circulating on social media in which a whistleblower, identified as Hassan, says he has photographs and videos showing Umar with men he described as bandits and claims suspected bandits were hosted at the senator's residence.
Hassan also alleges that when he attempted to leave Nigeria for Niger Republic, Umar sent his Personal Assistant to find him, and that both he and the aide were detained by security personnel before Hassan was released after presenting what he said were supporting images and clips. The emerging allegations have split opinion across northern Nigeria, with security analysts, political actors and the public divided over their credibility.
Demanding a formal inquiry, critics point to Umar's former role as chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, arguing such claims cannot be resolved through social media alone. Advocates for an independent probe say the DSS is best placed to check whether the people in the footage are tied to criminal networks, establish when and where the material was recorded, and determine if any items were edited or taken out of context.
Verification work has already complicated the narrative. PRNigeria reviewed one of the viral videos and concluded it combined footage from apparently unrelated events, finding some men shown were pilgrims who visited Umar in 2023 and that clips of men displaying international passports were unrelated to the rest of the material. PRNigeria described the viral content as false and misleading, underscoring the limits of raw social media material in allegations of terrorism and banditry.
The dispute has a long history. In 2024 Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed accused Umar of supporting banditry, an allegation the senator rejected as fabricated and malicious. That year Rural Community Development Outreach petitioned the United States Consulate over alleged links between Umar and terrorism, a claim the senator's Legislative Assistant denied. The matter later moved into the courts after arrests and charges for alleged cyberstalking and defamation; court records show the defendants pleaded not guilty and proceedings included claims about alleged sponsorship of banditry. In September 2025 a coalition of North-East groups rejected the accusations as politically motivated.
Umar's camp has challenged Hassan to present his evidence to security agencies, and said complaints and the videos were submitted to relevant authorities in 2025. Supporters say Hassan has continued to publicise his claims without appearing before security agencies despite invitations to present proof. "We have no objection to investigations or inquiries by the appropriate authorities," the senator's supporters said, while urging anyone with credible evidence to bring it forward.
The controversy now hinges on whether Hassan will formally hand over his material and whether security agencies will open an independent inquiry. The episode highlights how blended, unverified online footage can amplify politically charged allegations and why formal verification is central when claims involve national security figures.
